It will probably come as a suprise that on many Greek islands drinking water has to be shipped in from the mainland at considerable cost.

Yes, the islands are surrounded by water. However, it’s sea water and undrinkable.

Until now, one company, operating as a virtual monopoly, has been supplying the islands with water.

However, times are changing.

On the small Cycladic island of Irakleia Greek engineers have built the world’s first wind and solar powered desalination plant and it’s providing the small island with 70,000 liters of fresh water each day.

It’s wind and solar powered because if there isn’t any wind the solar panels will be used to generate the power necessary to run the plant.

It gets even better.

Unlike the vast majority of desalination plants this one doesn’t use chemicals to destroy micro-organisms and thus, will not pollute the sea.